Homedit is supported by our readers. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission. Learn more.

Clever Ways To Integrate Bedroom Shelves Into Your Next Design Project

Wall shelves make it easy to reinvent our homes and to add more storage to a space without cluttering the room. Some types of shelves are universally versatile and some are better suited for certain types of spaces or fulfill specific functions.

Bedroom Shelves

Bedroom shelves are not usually meant to be very specific although there are exceptions. There are many different options and designs to choose from. You can see some of them below.

Bedroom shelves design ideas

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf

Bedroom shelves can serve a variety of different purposes. They can even function as nightstand replacements which is a very practical idea for small spaces with reduced footprints.

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf

Box-like geometric shelves are great as display pieces. You can mount them in the bedroom where they can hold collectibles, pieces of artwork, framed pictures and other such items.

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf

One option is also to have shelves or storage modules on either side of the bed and even just above the headboard, thus framing the bed and maximizing storage while also creating a warm and cozy ambiance in the room.

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf

A particularly interesting trend is having an extra wide headboard which extends to each side of the bed, providing a uniform look to the room and doubling as a backdrop for bedroom shelves or as a surface on which to attach sconces.

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf

The shelves can also be built into the walls of a bedroom in which case they’re sort of like niches. It’s possible to only create the illusion of a wall niche by incorporate this sort of shelf opening into a wall unit.

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf

Instead of a typical freestanding nightstand, a chic idea can be to have floating shelves attached to the headboard. This way you’ll create the illusion of more space.

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf

If you want your bedroom shelves to be both practical and eye-catching, consider some interesting geometric shapes or different color options. You can combine several modules into a unique display.

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf

Shelves are pretty simple and that means they’re also pretty easy to customize if, for example, the bedroom is decorated with a particular theme. Check out this cool nautical-themed design and all the subtle details in it.

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf

You can use shelves to store and display just about anything. In this case, the bedroom shelves act as dressers and form an interesting wardrobe with an open design.

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf

Create a geometric display of shelves to give the bedroom a unique and original look. The best place for them would probably be on the wall behind the bed.

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf

Shelves can also act as dividers. In this cozy bedroom setup, the bookshelves separate the sleeping area from the social space and frame it without completely delineating it from the rest of the floor plan.

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf

The wall behind the bed is often quite useless since you can’t really have other furniture on it except for the bed. Actually, that’s not exactly true. This shared bedroom shows how a shelving unit can act as a backdrop for not one but two beds.

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf

Sleek, geometric bedroom shelves can double as decorative pieces and you can even display them in combination with artwork or framed paintings and pictures.

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf

It’s also possible for the wall behind the shelves to be the center of attention, in which case the shelves are merely accessories, a sort of overlay designed to enhance the beauty of the wall.

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf

You can use shelves to highlight certain design features of the bedroom. For example, a high ceiling could definitely look dramatic and a few simple shelves can help you take advantage of this feature.

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf

Murphy beds and bedroom shelves go hand in hand. A shelf can double as a base for the bed or as a sleek nightstand. The shelves are usually a great way to disguise a fold-down bed.

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf

Shelves can also emphasize the width of a wall and redirection the attention towards a certain part of the room which is usually useful when the space has a low ceiling for example.

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf
Image from closetsforlife

Custom shelving is also really great for making the most out of a small bedroom space. You can see here custom shelves built all-around a Murphy bed and also continuing around the corner onto the adjacent wall.  

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf
Image from kbwinteriors

A shelving unit can also look great on a window wall. There’s no reason to let this space go to waste, especially not when you can do something really cool with it like creating a cozy seating nook in front of the window. The shelves can frame the window nook on either side. Here’s another interesting use for shelves in the bedroom. This time they were used to create a custom and stylish divider between two beds. This gives a series of separate storage shelves on each side and helps to visually separate the room, creating a feeling of privacy even though there’s no wall in between the two beds. 

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf
Image from ghid.design

In a master bedroom the design possibilities expand. You have the option of introducing cool features like a fireplace for example and using shelves to frame it in a cozy way. Of course, the fireplace is not mandatory and you can achieve a similar look with a wall-mounted TV and possibly a dresser too.  

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf
Image from chelsealaureninteriors

Covering the wall behind the bed in shelves is a simple and convenient way of adding more storage to a small bedroom. The shelves are also nice for displaying items on like toys, collectibles and so on and they can also serve as alternative nightstands. 

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf
Image from aperryhomes

If you want a very clean and simple look for the bedroom then consider floating shelves. You can create a really cool display with them by combining floating shelves of different sizes and placing them at different heights. Together they can form an interesting pattern and serve as a nice decorative feature for the room.  

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf
Image from lkm-design

Another inspiring idea is to have a small desk or table placed in front of the bedroom window. This way you can take advantage of the natural light and make the room more functional. It doesn’t have to be a work desk. You can also add a few shelves on either side of the window and fill them with your favorite books to turn this into a reading nook. 

Dinah Murphy Bed

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf

There’s also all sorts of furniture pieces and sets that include shelves which are designed specifically for the bedroom. One is this Dinah Murphy bed which looks like a wall storage unit when the bed is folded up. The two shelving modules on the sides help to disguise it in a clever way.

Abasi 2 Piece Pine Solid Wood Floating Shelf

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf

When it comes to floating shelves, there’s a lot of different styles and types to choose from. They’re not designed for any room in particular so you can add them whenever you see fit, like above the bed, next to a window and so on. The Abasi shelves come in sets of two and have a slightly rustic aesthetic, with exposed metal brackets and solid wood platforms.

Pinecrest 2 Piece Bracket Shelf Set

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf

The Pinecrest shelf set is also a really nice one. It’s made of solid wood and has metal hanging brackets that give them a fairly traditional look. They’re small and that helps them to fit in pretty much any space but there are also bigger versions if you prefer more storage space for books and other things.

Poulan Pine Solid Wood Floating Shelf

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf

The Paulan floating shelf has a rather distinctive aesthetic. It has a solid and simple design and a slightly distressed finish. This helps it look at home in a variety of contexts like modern, rustic or farmhouse homes, beach houses, mountain cabins and so on.

Pembroke 3 Piece Tiered Shelf

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf

This is the Pembroke shelving unit which, as you can see, has a three-tiered design. The shelves are made of wood and spaced apart evenly, great for storing books, small planters, framed photos and all sorts of different things. The shelves are connected by a frame made of metal pipes and fittings which gives them a rustic-industrial look.

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf

Kittle 4 Piece Circle Accent Shelf

Some designs like that of the Kittle shelf stand out more than others. In this case it’s the round shape that makes this piece so interesting. It has a metal frame and four solid wood shelves placed at different heights. It stands out and looks really cool even without anything on it.